Cattle-guard gate.



J. ADAMS.

CATTLE GUARD GATE APPLICATION FILED JAN.27,190B.

Patented Oct. 27, 1908.

WITNESSES:

Cir

JOHN ADAMS, OF WASHINGTON, MISSOURI.

CATTLE-GUARD GATE Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 27, 1908.

Application filed January 27, 1908. Serial No. 412,858.

To all whom "it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN ADAMS, a citizen of the United States, residing at fashington, in the county of Franklin and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cattle-Guard Gates, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof.

My invention has relation to improvements in cattle guard-gates; and it consists in the novel construction of gate more fully set forth in the specification and pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure l is a plan from which one leaf of the gate is omitted, the parts in section being on the broken line 1-1 of Fig. 2; Fig. 2 is a vertical trans verse section on the broken line 22 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a vertical enlarged cross section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1, showing the gate unfolded or open; and Fig. 4: is a sectional detail on line ll of Fig. 1.

The object of my invention is to provide a railway right of way or track with a gate at points generally traversed or crossed by cattle, which while it shall effectively serve as a guard against the straying of the cattle over the track, may be automatically swung to an open position by the wheel of the locomotive or car to allow a train or engine to pass, the gate automatically closing over the track as soon as the train has passed.

In detail the invention may be described as follows:

Referring to the drawings, R, R, represent the rails of a track, T, the ties, and T special ties between whose opposite ends are secured the plates 1, 1. The center of the plate 1 is provided with an outwardly and upwardly bent bracket arm 2 and with an inner angle-bracket 3. The horizontal leg of the bracket 3 supports the pivotal pin '4; carried by the bottom horizontal member 5 of the gate G, about which the gate is freely rotatable in a horizontal plane. The gates are of the collapsible or folding hat-rack variety, and normally occupy a position over the track as shown in Fig. 2, in which figure they are shown unfolded. The outer end of the member 5 is coupled to a contracting spring 6 whose one end is secured to the arm 2.

The gates are designed to open outward (Fig. 3) with the approach of a train, but in the event the actuating or opening mechanism fails to work, the gates are shoved or oscillated to one side (see dotted position in Fig. 1) by the advancing train, allowing the latter to pass on, the springs 6 restoring the gates to their normal position over the track after the train has passed. The intention however is to have the gates open or fold outwardly with the approach of the train so as to escape the impact referred to, and this opening or actuating mechanism I will now describe: Disposed adjacent to the outside of each rail R and secured to the ties T, are brackets 7, 7, between which are pivoted the terminal deflected lobes or lugs 8, 8, of a rock-rail 9, the edge of said rail 9 projecting a slight distance above the tread of the rail R, and adapted to be engaged by the tread of the car wheel WV, so that as the wheel passes over the rails R, 9, it will depress the latter and oscillate or rock the same about the pivotal connections of the lobes 8, that is to say, about an axis passing through said pivotal connections. At a suitable point on each rock-rail 9 (both rails being constructed alike) is disposed a lug 10 which is coupled by a link 11 to a similar lug 12 on a rockshaft 13 mounted between bearing-brackets 14, 14, on the ties T, the center of the shaft 13 having rigidly secured thereto posts m carrying a plate or wing 15 provided with a concave outer edge along which is formed a semi-circular slot or way 16. This slot is engaged by a finger 17 forming an extension of one of the folding members of the gate G. The object of this slot is to permit the finger 17 to traverse the same during a horizontal oscillation of the gate when impinged on by the train under the circumstances above related. The rock-rail 9 is held in its normally raised position by a contracting spring 18 the upper end of which is secured to an arm 19 projecting from the rail, the lower end of the spring being coupled to the tie T. The rock-shafts on opposite sides of the track are moreover connected by links or rods 20, 20, crossing one another, their ends being coupled to arms 21, 21, projecting diametrically in opposite directions from the respective rock-shafts.

The opening of the gates is effected auto matically by the passage of the car over the track as follows: As the tread of the wheel W passes over the rail 9 it depresses the same or rocks it about the axis passing through the pivots or lugs 8, 8 (Fig. 3); said depression raises the lug 10.which in turn pulls on the link 11, the latter drawing on the lug 12 and rocking the rock-shaft 13 in proper direction to lift the plate 15, inclining it toward the rail; but since the walls of the slot 16 are in permanent engagement with the finger 17 of the gate, said finger will be forced in proper direc tion to fold the gate G outwardly (Fig. As both gates are thus folded or swung outwardly at the same time, the necessary opening is afforded between them to allow the train to pass. Of course the opening of the gates is effected the moment the wheels of the car engage and depress the rock-rail 9, the gates being unfolded or returned to their normally closed position across' the track under the action of the springs 18 which bring the rails back to their normally raised position the moment the car has passed off the said rails. In the rocking of the shafts 13, the one shaft assists the other by reason of the connections afforded by the links 20, 20, and arms 21, 21. These con nections are desirable especially in the event that 'the wheels on one side of the car should fail for any reason to impart the necessary movement to their corresponding rock-rail to effect a full opening or unfolding of the gate controlled by it.

Having described my invention, what I claim is:

In combination with a track-rail, a rockrail mounted adjacent thereto and on the outside thereof, a rockshaft mounted parallel to the rock-railand coupled thereto, a semi-circularly slotted wing coupled to the rock-shaft, a folding gate having a basal member mounted to rotate in a horizontal plane, at a point adjacent and exterior to the wing aforesaid, a fixed arm or bracket, a spring connecting the outer end of said basal gate-member with said fixed arm, a finger forming an extension of one of the folding members of the gate and permanently engaging the slot of the wing, a spring for normally holding the rock-rail slightly elevated above the tread of the trackrail whereby the same may be engaged, and depressed by the tread of the wheel passing over the track-rail, the parts operating substantially as, and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature, in presence of two witnesses,

JOHN ADAMS.

Vitnesses JOHN ALTEMUELLER, CURTIS DATWIELER. 

